Comparing the Browning x-bolt models, and the Nosler Model 48 (300 win mag)

[pruhead]

I'm in the market for a 300 win mag hunting rifle, and spent all day selecting everything I wanted in a custom build I was going to undertake from the ground up. In doing so, I stumbled on 3 seemingly incredible off-the-shelf options I can't help but give serious thought.

Just when I thought I found a winner, I stumbled on the Browning x-bolt pro and x-bolt Tungsten. I didn't take it too seriously at first, but zoned off watching a video comparing it to a custom and was blown away how favorably it competed against something 4x more expensive.

[Prairiewolf]

Originally Posted by pruhead

I'm in the market for a 300 win mag hunting rifle, and spent all day selecting everything I wanted in a custom build I was going to undertake from the ground up. In doing so, I stumbled on 3 seemingly incredible off-the-shelf options I can't help but give serious thought.

Just when I thought I found a winner, I stumbled on the Browning x-bolt pro and x-bolt Tungsten. I didn't take it too seriously at first, but zoned off watching a video comparing it to a custom and was blown away how favorably it competed against something 4x more expensive.

Browning doesn't seem to get alot of love on this forum for some reason.

*Barrels aren't the same quality as Tikka
*"Pot metal" triggers aren't adjustable and too many parts
*Stock looks funny / can't cheek them
*Too many idiots with buckmark logos on their trucks and I don't wanna be a part of it

Yet, at the end of the day, my X-Bolt 7MM RM goups close to 0.75" and is the most accurate rifle in the safe. And the safe is full of Brownings FYI.

Closing the loop, if you are willing to pay for a Nosler custom, look at Fierce as well.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Prairiewolf

Browning doesn't seem to get alot of love on this forum for some reason.

*Barrels aren't the same quality as Tikka
*"Pot metal" triggers aren't adjustable and too many parts
*Stock looks funny / can't cheek them
*Too many idiots with buckmark logos on their trucks and I don't wanna be a part of it

Yet, at the end of the day, my X-Bolt 7MM RM goups close to 0.75" and is the most accurate rifle in the safe. And the safe is full of Brownings FYI.

Closing the loop, if you are willing to pay for a Nosler custom, look at Fierce as well.

So you have a safe full of Brownings, and the most accurate one is close to a .75" rifle? That is enough reason for me not to own a Browning rifle.

[Smokinyotes]

I’ve shot xbolts and don’t like the overly complicated bolt. My nephew seems to be able to get his to shoot really good after putting mcarbo trigger springs in. Personally I wouldn’t trade any of my Tikkas for a Browning and the only browning I own is a citorri

[Beeman3]

I liked my A-Bolt 30-06 I had years ago. It shot decent and fit/balanced good. Bought a X-Bolt back in 2013 I think and it was no good. No matter what bullet/powder/primer combo I tried; the best it shot was 1.25" at 100 yds. To me that is not acceptable. It is nice to see Browning stepping up and offering fast twist barrels to shoot some of the high BC bullets.

[Deer Hunter]

I would have no problem with the browning. Triggers are decent, accuracy has been good for me, lightweight enough.
You do not need a custom rifle to accomplish hunting accuracy. Most modern manufacture guns are more than able to run beside expensive customs. Some will dispute this, but spending a lot of money on a custom build doesn't guarantee performance.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

I would have no problem with the browning. Triggers are decent, accuracy has been good for me, lightweight enough.
You do not need a custom rifle to accomplish hunting accuracy. Most modern manufacture guns are more than able to run beside expensive customs. Some will dispute this, but spending a lot of money on a custom build doesn't guarantee performance.

Building a custom, isn't just about obtaining the best accuracy. I have owned four Tikka rifles that all put five shots into 1/2moa or less, which is as good as anyone needs in a hunting rifle. I had custom rifles built to get the chambering that I wanted, in the action that I wanted, with the stock that I wanted, and the barrel length/contour that I wanted. I paid almost three times as much for my last full custom rifle as for my most recent Tikka, but if anything, it is slightly less accurate. But in the field, I much prefer my custom rifle, in the chambering that I chose. That being said, I would not pay $10k, or even $5k for an off the rack rifle by anyone, if I had to accept their stock design and dimensions, and their barrel length/contour. As for Browning, unless you want to pay a huge premium, you get a plastic stock , a heavier than I prefer trigger, and an overly complicated bolt. As for the Nosler, I have handled a few, and there is no way that I would pay that price, for that rifle.

[Deer Hunter]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Building a custom, isn't just about obtaining the best accuracy. I have owned four Tikka rifles that all put five shots into 1/2moa or less, which is as good as anyone needs in a hunting rifle. I had custom rifles built to get the chambering that I wanted, in the action that I wanted, with the stock that I wanted, and the barrel length/contour that I wanted. I paid almost three times as much for my last full custom rifle as for my most recent Tikka, but if anything, it is slightly less accurate. But in the field, I much prefer my custom rifle, in the chambering that I chose. That being said, I would not pay $10k, or even $5k for an off the rack rifle by anyone, if I had to accept their stock design and dimensions, and their barrel length/contour. As for Browning, unless you want to pay a huge premium, you get a plastic stock , a heavier than I prefer trigger, and an overly complicated bolt.

It's all in your head. You don't need a custom chambering, or a special action, a contour of your choice to perform as a hunting gun. If it makes you feel better or more confident, great!

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter

It's all in your head. You don't need a custom chambering, or a special action, a contour of your choice to perform as a hunting gun. If it makes you feel better or more confident, great!

It's all about choice, and since I have that choice, I exercise it. If I didn't want something out of the ordinary, I wouldn't buy a custom rifle. I certainly wouldn't pay $5k or $10k for an off the shelf rifle chambered in 30-06, with stock dimensions chosen to fit someone else.

[huntingfamily]

I recently went through the same thought process and ended up purchasing the xbolt longe range model. Most of my buddies in northern bc are running xbolts and they recommended one. Very happy with the accuracy, balance and weight. Turned the trigger pull to 3.5 lbs and function is great.
Picking up another in .280 Rem in the next couple days.
I have handled a couple of the hells canyon models, one of them with the factory McMillan stock and cerakote finish. Very nice indeed!

[Prairiewolf]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

So you have a safe full of Brownings, and the most accurate one is close to a .75" rifle? That is enough reason for me not to own a Browning rifle.

OP said he's in the market for a hunting rifle, not a paper puncher.

An off the shelf X-Bolt with a Vortex Diamondback scope (total spend <$1500 CAD) shooting partitions at 0.75" is awesome. I'm probably the reason this grouping isn't tighter.

Good thing the animals I shoot have big vitals, or me and my "crappy" 0.75" groups would never down anything...

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Prairiewolf

OP said he's in the market for a hunting rifle, not a paper puncher.

An off the shelf X-Bolt with a Vortex Diamondback scope (total spend <$1500 CAD) shooting partitions at 0.75" is awesome. I'm probably the reason this grouping isn't tighter.

Good thing the animals I shoot have big vitals, or me and my "crappy" 0.75" groups would never down anything...

.75" is definitely adequate for a hunting rifle, but you did state that it was the best of the entire safe full of Brownings.

[Don_Parsons]

Dang Namitt,,, now you got me thinking about the 1 Gun thing again. Ha

Did I mention I miss my 300 magnum days.

👍

[Prairiewolf]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

.75" is definitely adequate for a hunting rifle, but you did state that it was the best of the entire safe full of Brownings.

I did say "full of Brownings" didn't I? I have a small safe, its three.

*The 7 and the 308 each take partitions for my hunting usage, and I know these don't group very well (I've had tighter groups with Federal Fusions but don't like those outside of deer usage, and I don't hand load to see how precise I could get).

*My 22-250 takes whatever is on sale, because why spend money on dead coyotes?

Again, my level of shooting expertise is what is giving my that grouping (or apparent lack of), not the rifle itself. Coming back to the true theme of the thread, Brownings fit me very well, and dollar for dollar stack up very well against alot of higher end makes IMO.

[pruhead]

Awesome thanks for the feedback. Feeling better and better about going with the lower cost option, Doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice

[dogslayer403]

Cant say for the xbolt ive never owned one but id hunt with an a-bolt or bbr browning anyday

[Badone20]

Buddy of mine has the Hells Canyon and absolutely loves it

[Xbolt7mm]

The Browning’s he mentioned are not the normal run of the mill xbolts you guys. Nothing is ever as good as Elk has and never will be but the xbolt pro and the Hells canyon are certainly ten times better that any Tikka or standard xbolt that I own

[elkhunter11]

The X-bolts mentioned have better quality stocks than the base X-bolts, but the action and trigger are the same X-bolt design, and materials. As such , they don't match up with a true custom, but then again, they aren't meant to. To compete with a quality custom, Browning would need to make improvements to the action and trigger, but that would drive the price up, and put them out of reach of many potential buyers. The X-bolt is a functional hunting rifle, just like Tikka, but it can't compete with a rifle built with a quality custom action, trigger and stock. Then again, neither can an off the shelf Nosler rifle, despite the much higher price.
If you want to step up in quality, start with a quality action like a Stiller, Defiant, Surgeon, or Borden, add a match grade barrel, and a high quality stock, like McMillan, and have a competent gunsmith machine and assemble the components.

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by Xbolt7mm

The Browning’s he mentioned are not the normal run of the mill xbolts you guys. Nothing is ever as good as Elk has and never will be but the xbolt pro and the Hells canyon are certainly ten times better that any Tikka or standard xbolt that I own

What makes the pro and hells canyon 10x better than a Tikka? Just wondering if group size is 1/10th the size of a Tikka, is the trigger 10x better?

[outdoorsman12b]

Just what is so complicated about the bolt? I have one. It cycles smoothly with a low throw just like any othe bolt action I have ever used.

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

What makes the pro and hells canyon 10x better than a Tikka? Just wondering if group size is 1/10th the size of a Tikka, is the trigger 10x better?

Out of the box the hells or the pro both group way better, triggers can not be compared,the balance, fit for me and finish, they are also better than the regular xbolts also considerably more money so one should expect them to be a better gun as well, I also compared them to the tikkas and xbolts I own, maybe others have better ones than me, i dont know

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by outdoorsman12b

Just what is so complicated about the bolt? I have one. It cycles smoothly with a low throw just like any othe bolt action I have ever used.

Have you ever taken the bolt apart ? If you do, compare it to most other bolts, and you will see what was meant by being overly complicated

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

The X-bolts mentioned have better quality stocks than the base X-bolts, but the action and trigger are the same X-bolt design, and materials. As such , they don't match up with a true custom, but then again, they aren't meant to. To compete with a quality custom, Browning would need to make improvements to the action and trigger, but that would drive the price up, and put them out of reach of many potential buyers. The X-bolt is a functional hunting rifle, just like Tikka, but it can't compete with a rifle built with a quality custom action, trigger and stock. Then again, neither can an off the shelf Nosler rifle, despite the much higher price.
If you want to step up in quality, start with a quality action like a Stiller, Defiant, Surgeon, or Borden, add a match grade barrel, and a high quality stock, like McMillan, and have a competent gunsmith machine and assemble the components.

All that may be true, parts of it may be true or none of it may be true based on the custom and who built it with what parts, a bit off track to what the OP asked however. I have no experience with the Nosler 48 but the Hells canyon is real close to the pro. I also dont have any tikkas or browninings in the same cartridge. But the Hells canyon in a 28 Nosler is a way smoother and accurate rifle than my Tikkas (7mm mag, 300 WM) or my xbolt hunters (25-06, 270). Not comparing My hells to everyone’s Tikka or xbolt because I have never shot the guns belonging to others, just my own but they are all less that 5 years old.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Xbolt7mm

All that may be true, parts of it may be true or none of it may be true based on the custom and who built it with what parts, a bit off track to what the OP asked however. I have no experience with the Nosler 48 but the Hells canyon is real close to the pro. I also dont have any tikkas or browninings in the same cartridge. But the Hells canyon in a 28 Nosler is a way smoother and accurate rifle than my Tikkas (7mm mag, 300 WM) or my xbolt hunters (25-06, 270). Not comparing My hells to everyone’s Tikka or xbolt because I have never shot the guns belonging to others, just my own but they are all less that 5 years old.

Being that the OP was originally considering a ground up custom build comparing these rifles to a custom build is not at all off track.

[marky_mark]

The xbolt pros are a step up from the normal xbolt’s including the hells canyon whatever edition.
Availability is tough. The xbolt pro long range seems great on paper but is even harder to find.

Nosler m48 are nice. They shoot well. But for that kinda dough you might as well get a christenesen or a fierce

Which are both way cheaper than a full on custom

Your not really comparing apples to apples here

Would be good to know what your planning to do with it? Is it for sheep hunting? Speed goats? Looking for a light weight rig? For a specific task? Or a one for everything rifle? Etc

If you were considering a full on custom there is lots of options to choose from

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Being that the OP was originally considering a ground up custom build comparing these rifles to a custom build is not at all off track.

What custom build are you comparing it to when he did not state anything about actions triggers barrels or stocks, there is nothing to compare it to at this point and as far as you know, the two guns mentioned may both be better than the custom he was looking at or way worse. As he did not give the information but stated the two make and models, one would believe that he was looking for information on items he listed instead of items he did not.

[Norwest Alta]

I was kinda in the same situation. Christensen, fierce, rmr. I couldn't decide. Picked up the Browning hells canyon and decision was made. I like my Browning

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Xbolt7mm

What custom build are you comparing it to when he did not state anything about actions triggers barrels or stocks, there is nothing to compare it to at this point and as far as you know, the two guns mentioned may both be better than the custom he was looking at or way worse. As he did not give the information but stated the two make and models, one would believe that he was looking for information on items he listed instead of items he did not.

He mentioned a ground up custom build, and I can't think of any custom actions or triggers that are not superior to factory X-bolt parts.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Norwest Alta

I was kinda in the same situation. Christensen, fierce, rmr. I couldn't decide. Picked up the Browning hells canyon and decision was made. I like my Browning

Your 26 nosler drives tacks!